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What’s the Idea? Bazaar Bhav on mobiles
MUMBAI: Idea Cellular has, for the first time in India, introduced SMS-based information updates in the commodity markets using a subscription-based model.
This service – Idea Bazaar Bhav – will be available across all Idea Cellular circles in India.
Idea’s customers will now be able to receive updates about the current prices in the major exchanges as well as spot markets all over the country, 10-15 times a day, over SMS.
International markets of China, London and Tokyo, vessel positions and port information will also be covered. Idea Bazaar Bhav on mobiles will initially cover the commodity markets for oil, pulses, cotton and bullion (i.e. gold, silver etc). In the next phase grains and sugar markets will also be added to the service.
An Idea subscriber can register by sending an SMS – ‘Help’ to 1920 and start getting updates. Idea Bazaar Bhav subscription will be offered to postpaid at a great price of Rs 150 per month and prepaid customers will be able to use the dynamic and effective SMS Pull feature to get the updates as and when required.
With the Idea Bazaar Bhav service, customers will also be able to participate more actively in commodity trading including forward trading and benefit from the real-time information updates. It will also keep the traders, brokers and farmers updated about the current trends in the market. The service is being powered by ADCC Research and Computing.
Idea Cellular CEO Vikram Mehmi said, “We are extremely happy to be the first ones to offer such a service to our customers and enable greater value addition in their day to day business transactions. With the mobile subscriber base penetrating through deeper sections of India and spreading into rural areas, such a service is a boon to farmers, traders and the masses having their livelihood depend upon agro-based activities.”
ADCC Research & Computing CEO Arun Lakhani, on the other hand, said, “Bazaar Bhav will act as a force multiplier to the rural economy empowering farmers to get fair prices and avoid exploitation. This is a first step in taking the technology to villages and contributing to the village economy.”
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Reliance Retail FY26 revenue rises 11.8 Per Cent to Rs 3.7 lakh crore
Q4 revenue up 11.1 Per Cent, hyperlocal orders surge 4x, PAT steady
MUMBAI: Reliance Retail isn’t just ringing up sales, it’s ringing doorbells faster than ever. Reliance Retail Ventures Limited (RRVL) reported a steady FY26 performance, with growth powered by store expansion, a sharp surge in hyperlocal commerce, and consistent traction across grocery, fashion and jewellery. For the full year, revenue rose 11.8 per cent year-on-year to Rs 3,70,026 crore. In the January–March quarter, revenue from operations climbed 11.1 per cent to Rs 87,344 crore, up from Rs 78,622 crore a year earlier.
Operating performance remained stable, with Q4 EBITDA inching up 3.1 per cent YoY to Rs 6,921 crore from Rs 6,711 crore. However, quarterly profit after tax held steady at Rs 3,563 crore. For the full fiscal, PAT grew 11.7 per cent to Rs 13,842 crore.
Expansion remained a key lever. RRVL added 1,564 new stores during FY26, while simultaneously scaling its digital and hyperlocal commerce play. The latter emerged as a standout, with daily orders surging more than fourfold year-on-year in Q4, underlining a clear shift towards faster, localised fulfilment.
In grocery, large-format stores maintained momentum, aided by festive demand and the expansion of Smart Bazaar, which crossed 1,000 stores. Promotional campaigns such as ‘Full Paisa Vasool’ delivered record results, with sales rising 26 per cent YoY.
Digital commerce also picked up pace. JioMart added 5.8 million new users in Q4, nearly doubling its registered base year-on-year. Hyperlocal orders grew 29 per cent sequentially and over 300 per cent annually during the quarter.
Fashion and lifestyle saw steady traction. Ajio recorded a 23 per cent YoY rise in average bill value, while fast-fashion platform Shein crossed 11 million app installs, scaling rapidly with expanding product lines.
The jewellery business added further shine, with average bill value jumping 53 per cent YoY, largely driven by rising gold prices and sustained consumer demand.
Commenting on the shift, RRVL executive director Isha Ambani said hyperlocal commerce has become a structural growth driver, with orders rising more than fourfold over the year.
Looking ahead to FY27, the company is betting on technology to deepen engagement. The focus, Ambani noted, will be on AI-led merchandising, sharper pricing strategies and disciplined execution turning scale into sustained customer value.
In short, the carts are fuller, the clicks are quicker, and the next phase looks less about reach and more about precision.
